Big

Big Lake is a 3,596 acre lake with a maximum depth of 35 feet located 13 miles east of Bemidji in Beltrami County. The Big Lake boat launch is located on the east shore and can be accessed from Mission Road. A total of 53 Walleye were captured in the 2025 survey, and they ranged in length from 10.5 inches to 22 inches with an average length of 18 inches. Walleye greater than 15 inches made up 90% of the catch. Big Lake is stocked annually with approximately 1 million Walleye fry. Northern Pike abundance remains low. The pike population did show some improvement in size structure since the 2022 survey, as 15% of the fish exceeded 24 inches in 2025 compared to 1% in 2022. Pike ranged in length from 11 to 31 inches. The 2025 Bluegill catch rate of 17.5 fish per trap net was within the average range typically found in similar lakes. Bluegill captured ranged in length from 3 to 9 inches with an average size of 7 inches. Bluegill greater than 7 inches made up 49% of the sample. Black Crappie were present in good numbers. Crappie lengths ranged from 4 to 13 inches and 52% of the catch was over 10 inches. Largemouth Bass captured during the survey ranged in length from 5 to 17 inches with an average length of 10 inches. Angler reports for Smallmouth Bass have been increasing in recent years. Only two Smallmouth were captured during the survey and the largest was 17.5 inches. A total of 53 Tullibee (Cisco) were captured in gillnets and lengths ranged from 7 to 15 inches with an average size of just over 10 inches. Other fish species captured during the survey include Brown Bullhead, Bowfin, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, White Sucker and Yellow Bullhead.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Big Lake, which is located wholly within the Leech Lake Reservation, was conducted over several days, including July 11 and July 22-23, 2024, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 24 sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample 16 stations and site conditions (e.g., Dense vegetation and soft substrates) prevented the use of a seine at eight stations. Nearshore sampling captured 23 species of fish including eight species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Mimic Shiner, Pugnose Shiner, Rock Bass, and Smallmouth Bass) and none that are tolerant of disturbance. A concurrent summer trap net survey was also conducted by IBI Program Staff. Fifteen trap nets were set along the shoreline and in shallow offshore locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Trap net sampling captured 14 species of fish, including two that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Muskellunge and Rock Bass) and one that is tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Black Bullhead). Black Crappie and Bluegill comprised a majority of the trap net catch by number and Bowfin and Bluegill comprised a majority by biomass. The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from an August 2022 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Black Bullhead and Fathead Minnow). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Results from this survey provide evidence that the fish community in Big Lake is healthy as indicated by a Minnesota DNR FIBI score above the general use impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. These results are similar to previous findings regarding the biological health of Big Lake. You can help protect the fish community in Big Lake by reducing runoff and maintaining natural shorelines.

Big Lake is a 3,596 lake with remnants of a native muskie population that is supplemented with annual fingerling stocking to maintain the population. In 2023, 39 adult muskies were captured and marked using PIT (passive integrated transponder) tags. The 2024 survey attempted to recapture a portion of those fish in order to estimate the current population. In spring of 2024, night electrofishing was conducted to capture muskies during the spawning period. Over the course of 6 nights spread over 18 days, 16 muskies were captured. Of those, 5 were recaptures from the year prior resulting in a population estimate of 112 which was close to the 2015-16 estimate of 104 adult muskies. Lengths ranged from 37 to just under 51 inches and averaged just over 45 inches.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Black Crappie, Rock Bass, Hybrid Sunfish, Walleye, and Muskellunge in Big. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Big. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Big has a maximum depth of 35 feet and a mean depth of 14.1 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Big is from 2025.

Yes — Big has confirmed zebra mussel. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.